Water-purifying apparatus.



PATENTED JAN- 30, 1906.

0. L. KENNIOOTT.

WAT-BR PURIPYING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 25,1805.

CASS L. KENNICOTT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO KENNICOTT WATERSOFTENER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORA- TION OF ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

Application filed February 25, 1905. Serial No. 247,302.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CAss L. Knnnico'r'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Water-Purifying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of the water-softening apparatus forming the subject of Letters Patent of the United States No. 6%,108, dated March 22, 1900, a leading feature of which is the downwardly-flaring downtake-conduit; and my present improvements relate particularly to that device for use in the settling-tank of a water-purifying apparatus. The precipitating-tank is of very large dimensions, the extent of which may be realized when it is considered that it is adapted to hold many thousands of gallons of water, and the downwardly-flaring doWntake-conduit is of correspondingly large dimensions, rendering it difficult to construct and erect, and particularly to transport. Moreover, the foundation, carrying the enormous Weight of the apparatus and its contents, is liable to settle unevenly, and thus cause the downtake-conduit to hang therein on more or less of an incline from the perpendicular, with the effect of causing most of the water, which passes from the lower wider end of the conduit for rising in the tank to overflow therefrom, to enter the latter from one side of the transverse center of the lower conduit end, thereby impairing the precipitating action of the apparatus because of the uneven distribution through it of the water undergoing treatment.

My object is to overcome the difi iculties re ferred to. To the end of facilitating the manufacture and the handling in erection and transportation of the downwardly-flaring downtake-conduit, I construct it in telescoping sections, adapting it to be shipped in nested condition and to be drawn out in an upward direction from the base portion of the tank when placed therein in such nested condition in the erection of the apparatus, for which purpose suitable raising means may be employed attached to the innermost and narrowest section, which is fastened at the upper end of the tank to the support from which it is suspended. To the end of insuring the maintenance of the do wntake-conduit, whether formed of telescoping sections or downwardlyflaring or otherwise, in the proper perpendicular position within the tank, I suspend it flexibly on its support.

My further object is to dispense with the baffle-plates shown in my aforesaid former patent to be provided at intervals about the downtake-conduit in the tank, with the advantage of lightening and cheapening the structure, and with the further and still greater advantage of inducing a more thorough distribution of the water in passing from the lower end of the conduit into the tank. This I accomplish by providing about the base portion of the conduit, whether of the sectional construction referred to or of other construction and whether flexibly or rigidly supported, a series of water-guiding arms extending from lateral openings in said base portion.

An embodiment of my aforesaid improvements all in one precipitating-tank is repre sented in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows by a vertical sectional view the tank and the downwardly-flaring down take-conduit therein. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the water-guiding arms, and Fig. 3 a similar broken view showing one of the openings in the base portion of the conduit from which a guiding-arm extends and the preferred construction of the support provided at each opening on the outer side of the conduit for the guiding-arm at its inner end.

A is the precipitatingtank of any suitable or usual construction employed in apparatus for softening water for industrial purposes. It is shown rising from a foundation B through an opening a, in the basin-shaped top of which, leading to a sewer or other point, (not shown,) the sediment is dischargedat an outlet 6 in the hoppered bottom 6 of the tank.

C is the downwardly-flaring downtake-conduit, formed in sections, as shown, to any desired number, adapted to nest telescopically and to interlock when drawn out, as by mutually overlapping flanges c and 0 about their respectively adjacent ends. The conduit is suspended from its upper end on a support C, shown as a pair of beams cl (Z, extending across the upper open end of the tank, on which they rest, with beams cl laid upon and at right angles to them and bolted thereto. The con- IOO inner end open and with serrations in its edges duit is flexibly suspended on this support, preferably in a manner to'adapt it to swing in two directions at right angles to each other, the means represented for the purpose being of the following description: A plate a is bolted to the under sides of the beams d and is provided on its lower surface with an annular flange f, having eyes f depending from it diametrically opposite each other. A ring 9 has diametrically opposite eyes g rising from it to register with the eyes f, and a rod f passes through these coincident eyes to connect the ring'g pivotally with the flange f, the ring having depending from it at right angles to the eyes g eyes in which is journaled a rod g passing at its ends diametrically through the uppermost section of the conduit near its upper end. Thus should the tank, and with it the conduit-support thereon, be thrown out of perpendicular position in any direction from any cause, such as that suggested, the pivotal suspension of the downtake-conduit will cause it to maintain its desired perpendicular position.

A series of openings h, preferably of the triangular shape illustrated, is provided about the lower part of the lowermost section of the conduit O, these openings being formed at suitable and preferably equal intervals apart,

and each is shown to be provided on the outer side of the section with a bearing 2' for the inner end of a water-guiding arm D of the preferred peculiar form and construction hereinafter described. This bearing may beformed to advantage out of a length of angle-bar bent into substantially V shape, with the back section a" provided with rivet-holes 6 through which to rivet it flatwise to the surface of the conduit-section at opposite sides of the opening it, and with the lower ends of the legs of said back section cut away to leave the ends of the edge-presented section 21 free to be bent inward, as shown at a. The arm D is shown to be of general gutter shape or V-shaped in cross-section, with its outer end closed and its forming series of lateral openings it. Each trough D fits in inverted position at its open end and is there supported by and confined in the bearing-section 2' about the respective opening it, and it carries near its outer end an eye Z, from which it is connected, for sustain- I ing it, with a similar eye Z, projecting from the outer surface of the conduit, by a link-rod m, containing a turnbuckle 12, through the medium of which to adjust it in proper radial position in assembling the parts of the structure.

The water under treatment which passes through the conduit C enters therefrom the tank A to rise and in rising precipitate its impurities under the action of the chemical or chemicals mixed with it for inducing the precipitation through the openings h and along the guiding-arms D by way of the lateral openings k therein. This medium of conducting the chemical-charged water from the conduit 0 into the tank tends to induce more intimate and thorough mixture of the chemical with the water under treatment and a more uniform distribution thereof through the body of water.

What I claim as new, and desire to' secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The downwardly-flaring downtake-conduit of a water-purifying apparatus of the character described, composed of a series of sections loosely connected one with the other and telescopically collapsible for nesting them and extensible by raising the innermost section for suspending the conduit in its operative position, for the purpose set forth.

2. The downwardly-flaring downtake-conduit of a water-purifying apparatus of the character described, composed of a series of sections having inturned and outturned end flanges overlapping each other from one sec tion to the other and loosely connecting the sections together and rendering them telescopically collapsible for nesting and extensible by raising the innermost section for suspending the conduit in its operative position, for the purpose set forth. a

3. In combination with the settlingtank of a water-purifying apparatus of the character described, a downtake-conduit flexibly suspended in said tank.

4. In combination with the settling-tank of a water-purifying apparatus of the character described, a support at the upper end of said tank, and a downtake-conduit pivotally suspended on said support to hang in the tank.

5. In combination with the settling-tank of a water-purifying apparatus of the character described, a support at the upper end of said tank, and a downtake-conduit pivotally sus pended on said support to swing in two directions at right angles toeach other and hang in the tank. I

6. In combination with the settling-tank of a water-purifying apparatus of the character described, a support comprising beams laid crosswise on the upper end of said tank, carrying a plate provided with an annular flange having depending eyes, a ring pivotally connected with said eyes to swing in one direction and provided with depending eyes, and a downtake-conduit pivotally connected with the ring-eyes to swing in the direction at right angles to the direction of swinging of said r1ng.

7. In combination with the downtake-conduit of the settling-tank in a water-purifying apparatus of the character described, said conduit having openings in the lower portion of its wall, water-guiding arms extending from said openings.

8. In combination with the downtake-conduit of the settling-tank in a water-purifying apparatus of the character described, said con duit having angular openings in the lower portion of its wall, water-guiding arms of the cross-sectional shape of said openings and extending therefrom.

9. In combination with the downtake-conduit of the settling-tank in a water-purifying apparatus of the character described, said conduit having openings in the lower portion of its Wall, Water guiding arms of invertedtrough shape extending from said openings and having series of openings along their edges and closed outer ends.

10. In combination with the downtake-con duit of the settling-tank in a water-purifying apparatus of the character described, said conduit having openings in the lower portion of its well, Water guiding arms of invertedtrough shape extending radially from said openings and having serrated edges forming openings, and closed outer ends.

11. In combination with the downtake-conduit of the settling-tank in a water-purifying apparatus of the character described, said conduit having triangular openings in the lower portion of its wall, Water-guiding arms of inverted-trough shape extending from said openings and having serrated edges forming openings, and closed outer ends, and sustaining means for said arms connecting them with said conduit.

12. In combination with the downtake-conduit of the settling-tank in a water-purifying apparatus of the character described, said conduit having triangular openings in the lower portion of its wall, bearings at said openings on the outer surface of said wall, water-guiding arms of inverted-trough shape supported at their inner ends in said hearings to extend radially from said openings and having serrated edges and closed outer ends, and links containing turnbuckles connecting said arms with said conduit.

CASS L. KENNICOTT.

In presence of- J. H. LANDES, M. S. MACKENZIE. 

